Speech #970010595

Mr. Speaker. I believe immigrationespecially illegal migrationwill be among the hottest issues of the decade. At this time there is great dissatisfaction with our present laws and their administration. The problem of illegal immigration will only become more volatile and divisive until Congress takes action on what has become a situation that is out of control. I am reintroducing legislation today which goes to the heart of the problem. My colleagues should have received today the final report and recommendations of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. "U.S. Immigration Policy and the National Interest." The distinguished Chairman of the Commission. Father Theodore Hesburgh. recently made the following comments concerning the Commissions findings: The first order of priority is bringing undocumented/illegal immigration under control * * * Such migration to the United States is so extensive that hundreds of thousands of persons annually enter this country outside of the law * * * Many undocumented/illegal migrants were induced to come to the United States by offers of work from U.S. employers who recruited and hired them under protection of present U.S. law * * * The Select Commission is well aware of the widespread dissatisfaction among U.S. citizens with an immigration policy that seems to be out of control * I * One does not have to be able to quantify in detail all of the impacts of undocumented/illegal aliens in the United States to know that there are some serious adverse effects. Some U.S. citizens and resident aliens who can lest afford it are hurt by competition for jobs and housing and a reduction of wages and standards at the workplace. The existence of a fugitive underground class is unhealthy for society as a whole and may contribute to ethnic tensions. In addition. widespread illegality erodes confidence in the law generally. and immigration law specifically. while being unfair to those who seek to immigrate legally. In response to the problem of illegal migration. the Commission emphasizes the need for legislation which both penalizes employers who hire undocumented/illegal aliens and provides a verifiable employment eligibility system. I heartily concur with these recommendations. In fact. more than 3 years ago I first introduced legislation which is in keeping with these very recommendations and which would establish a simple. humane. and costeffective program to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into this country. In the 3 years since I introduced this measure. perhaps 2 or 3 million additional illegal aliens have entered this country in search of jobs. Rather than invest in costly and draconian measures to make a Berlin Wall out of our borders. as some suggest. or harass American citizens of foreign extraction. we must focus attention on the root cause of the illegal alien problemthe employment of illegal aliens in the United States. As the Select Commission notes. it is well known that noncitizens pour into this country by the tens of thousands every month to look for work. Without the lure of employment in the United States. these people would probably never leave their homelands. Jobs are now readily available to the undocumented worker. Some employers are eager to make use of the large. cheap. and willing pool of illegal labor. and they face no penalty for doing so. But sanctions against those who hire illegal aliens. in the absence of a simple and reliable system of identification. unfairly burden the employer. Without such identification. employer sanctions would also contribute to job discrimination against certain ethnic groups. Most businesses have neither the resources nor the inclination to verify the identity of a worker who may possess a counterfeited temporary work permitgreen cardsocial security card. or other bogus forms of ID that are easily obtained. The question. then. is how best to document worker eligibility and where to place the burden for identifying and enforcing the violations. The Social Security Act has always required that all gainfully employed people have a social security number and that this number be given to the employer. Thus. the basic system for controlling employment eligibility through a single document is already in place. My bill would require the Federal Government to issue counterfeit proof social security cards. Anyone applying for a social security card must present proof of U.S. citizenshipas required by the 1972 amendments to the Social Security Actor of legal entry confirmed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. to the local social security office. An employer would be required to check a new employees social security card and could ask for additional identification. approved by the Attorney General. in the case of an old social security card to insure that the bearer of the card is the valid holder.